Bring a Trailer Auctions, E30 edition

[JimmyP]

Super capable,,, but yawn.
As I have said many times, the E46M3 was BMWs apology to the US for the E36M3.

[Echo30V]

Nah, the E36 M3 is a joy to drive. I had a 1990 Imola Red E36 M3 vert with a hard top. That car drove, man, light, perfectly balanced, and it just flat out pulled. What a feeling, throwing that whip hard into corners and coming out like a locomotive on rails. I foolishly sold that car. Yeah, I tried the e46 M3. I had the Holy Grail of E46 M3s, the highly vaunted ZCP Interlagos Blue beast. I have to say, while the S54 is BMWs best, driving the car was a bit meh. The e30 and e36 are just attached to the road on a different level. Just my 2 Cents.

[MR E30 325is]

Super capable,,, but yawn.
As I have said many times, the E46M3 was BMWs apology to the US for the E36M3.

Egh, I drove an E46 M3 and it just didn't feel right. It was like the STI, just too disconnected. The S54 is incredible, don't get me wrong, but the E46 in stock trim just felt too soft for my liking.

My opinion is highly skewed though.

[JimmyP]

I have owned neither, but instructed in many of both.
In my time in the right seat the E46M3s were always faster around a race track given various levels of prep with decent driver.

I know of lots of fast as shit E36M3 race cars and I know many people love them,,, I have no love for them at all. Yawn. Just yawn. If they built an E36M3 GTR style street car (with the euro engine) they would have won me.

An M3 of any chassis should not be indistinguishable from a base model at 10'.

I will be buying an E46M3 for myself before all the nice ones are gone, my 318Ti is as close as I'll ever get to an E36...

[djjerme]

Having gotten some seat time on the street and track of an E46 M3 in the not to distant past, I would echo Mr E30 and Echo's feelings. The motor loved to rev, and if the motor dies in my X3, I'll be throwing an S54 in it. But the chassis/steering..etc. felt numb. And the one I drove (my buddies) had a few tweaks here and there, but was mostly stock. Not really surprised when he sold it to get an 1M..

[JimmyP]

I'd love a 1M with an S54 in it (or that one with the S62 in it which takes this full circle).

[reelizmpro]

I agree Jimmy. Even at rock bottom prices for the E36 M3, I still would rather spend more to get into an E46 M3. The fact that nice standard E30's sell for what the typical E36 M3 goes for says it all and is still surprising to me.

[2mAn]

1991 325i Convertible

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1991-bmw-325-17/

claimed 33k miles but carfax shows an inconsistency

[Echo30V]

Hmm, sort a like the Verty30 but just add a measly 100,000 miles and identical. Should be interesting. I’m certainly subscribed.

[Echo30V]

Educate me on the diving boards on this 1991. My 1990 Verty30 also has the diving boards. When did the vert cease to have the diving boards?

[Johnnyboy101]

Educate me on the diving boards on this 1991. My 1990 Verty30 also has the diving boards. When did the vert cease to have the diving boards?

Build Date:1990-08-24 - they didn't get plastic bumpers until 1991 I think?

[varg]

I agree Jimmy. Even at rock bottom prices for the E36 M3, I still would rather spend more to get into an E46 M3. The fact that nice standard E30's sell for what the typical E36 M3 goes for says it all and is still surprising to me.

E36 M3s are a good candidate for a swap. Good chassis, engine is positively yawnworthy. Replace with a V8 and all is well. S54 if you are a purist.

[MR E30 325is]

E36 M3s are a good candidate for a swap. Good chassis, engine is positively yawnworthy. Replace with a V8 and all is well. S54 if you are a purist.

I will admit that Kaliboy's V8 crate engined E36 M3 is a machine that causes me to have wet dreams, and I must build one one day.

[djjerme]

See that's where my buddy and I deviate - I don't care if a motor and chassis are from the same manufacture - I like ingenuity and cool builds. Anybody can swap an i head on an eta, but it takes some serious confidence to say "meh, lets stick a 2JZ in that biatch!"

...even better when the project is actually running under it's own power! :)

[JimmyP]

A few years ago, maybe 3-4, there was a guy on Bimmerforums that was selling an LS swapped E36 fully gutted / caged race car with a T101 dog ring race trans.

Car was white, really sanitary build, down to the tub and up,,, nice cage, race wired, the real deal.

It almost made me want an E36...